Molecular techniques for the detection and characterization of microorganisms
Journal Title: Αρχεία Ελληνικής Ιατρικής - Year 2014, Vol 31, Issue 1
Abstract
The detection and characterization of pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms are currently of paramount importance in clinical and laboratory practice. Molecular techniques can offer more accurate characterization, increase sensitivity and reduce the diagnosis time without substantial increase in cost. They thus result in faster and more appropriate treatment and also promote prevention procedures, guiding decisions on the introduction and composition of prophylactic therapy. The discovery of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and other similar molecular techniques, based on amplification of nucleic acid traces, has contributed to the rapid growth of diagnostic methodology, as real-time PCR enables the simultaneous qualitative and quantitative determination of microorganisms. Novel and modified molecular techniques are being evolved to improve reliability and enhance sensitivity. These are based on new insights into the chemistry of synthesis and detection and the use of improved incubation and detection hardware. The majority of the new techniques are only gradually being introduced into the routine of diagnostic laboratories, because of the domination of the PCR, the need for expensive specialized laboratory equipment and instrumentation, which in turn require experienced, expert personnel for effective operation, and their high overall operating cost of, taking into consideration the reagents and the maintenance costs. The need for standardization, if not of techniques, at least operating procedures and the recording of data to enable comparison, cooperation and interaction among centers further complicates the choice and applicability of these new and promising, but also unproven methods. This review presents the main molecular diagnostic methods used in microbiology laboratories.
Authors and Affiliations
I. KYRIAZIS, M. KAMBOURIS, K. POULAS, G. PATRINOS
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP120953
- DOI -
- Views 59
- Downloads 0
Epidemiologic investigation of the etiology of chronic diseases
Etiology in epidemiology, preventive medicine and medicine, in general, is stochastic (probabilistic) rather than strictly deterministic. In this review, the concepts of cause and causality in the context of epidemiology...
Pharmaceutical marketing and promotion in Greece
The production and distribution of pharmaceutical products is one of the most dynamic sectors of Greek industry. The provision of pharmaceutical products in Greece is determined by the pharmaceutical companies of the sec...
Pulmonary mycetoma
No abstract available
Έρευνα γνώμης και ικανοποίησης των ασφαλισμένων του ΙΚΑ<br /> από τις παρεχόμενες πρωτοβάθμιες υπηρεσίες
ΣΚΟΠΟΣ Στην παρούσα μελέτη παρουσιάζονται τα αποτελέσματα έρευνας γνώμης και ικανοποίησης των ασφαλισμένων του ΙΚΑ από τις παρεχόμενες πρωτοβάθμιες υπηρεσίες στην ευρύτερη περιοχή της Αθήνας. ΥΛΙΚΟ-ΜΕΘΟΔΟΣ Η έρευνα π...
Immune tolerance induced by the inhibition of CD18 alone or both signal transducer<br /> and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) and islet/duodenum homeobox-1 (IDX-1)<br /> at the time of rat bone marrow (BM) transplantation in which thymus T lymphopoiesis occurred post-transplantation <br /> <br />
OBJECTIVE To elucidate the mechanism of immune tolerance and demonstrate its occurrence clinically and in vitro. METHOD Rat bone marrow (BM) trans-plantation was performed using F1 (DAxLEW) hybrid hosts and DA donors,...